Pope to young Papuans: Choose harmony, not division
By Renato Martinez
Setting aside his prepared speech, Pope Francis engaged in a back-and-forth dialogue with the estimated 10,000 young people gathered at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby.
“You in Papua, who speak more than 800 languages, share a common language,” the Pope said: “that of love and service.”
Young people’s problems
Following a colourful welcome dance by a group of young people dressed in traditional attire, Bishop John Bosco Auram of the Diocese of Kimbe greeted the Pope.
He highlighted the major challenges facing Papua New Guinean youth, such as living out Christian values within their families and society, limited opportunities for growth and development, and frustrations arising from unmet expectations of society, government, and even the Church.
Three testimonies
A number of young people then came forward and addressed the Pope.
The first testimony came from Patricia Harricknen-Korpok, a member of the Catholic Professionals Association, who spoke of the challenges of witnessing Catholic faith and morals in a society heavily influenced by the entertainment industry, social media, and technology.
Then Ryan Vulum shared his difficult childhood experience in a broken family, saying the Church became his refuge. He explained that many young people in Papua New Guinea struggle with the same challenges, finding it difficult to communicate with parents who are either separated or absent. This, he said, often leads to involvement in substance abuse, illegal activities, and a loss of hope.
The final testimony came from Bernadette Turmoni, a member of the Legion of Mary, who spoke about the devastating effects of family abuse on young people. “Those who are victims feel unloved and disrespected, which can lead them to suicide or abandoning their families,” she said. Bernadette also highlighted the issue of poverty, despite Papua New Guinea's wealth of natural resources. Many young people, she said, drop out of school and resort to drug dealing, theft, or begging.
Pope Francis: “Face the future with smiles of hope”
Pope Francis, for his part, expressed his joy at spending time in Papua New Guinea, a land of oceans, mountains, and tropical forests.
He noted that Papua is a young country filled with young people and is called to “to face the future with smiles of hope.”
“Thank you for your joy, and for how you have shared the beauty of Papua, where the ocean meets the sky, where dreams are born, and challenges arise,” the Pope said.
Youth are the hope of the future
Addressing the over 10,000 young participants, Pope Francis explained that he couldn’t leave Papua New Guinea without meeting them because the young are our hope for the future.
He offered them the biblical story of the Tower of Babel as a lesson, contrasting two ways of living and building society: one that leads to confusion and division, and another that fosters harmony through encounter with God and our fellow humans.
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